"The NFC championship was the Super Bowl," Sherman said. "The 49ers were the second-best team in the NFL."

That was the obvious takeaway from the Seahawks 43-8 victory over Denver. The NFC is the king conference, the NFC West is the premier division and the rivalry between the Seahawks and 49ers is the very best the game has to offer.

The 49ers were a shadow participant in the Super Bowl, a team that came within an outstretched finger of beating Seattle and facing Denver. With every achievement by the Seahawks, the 49ers had to be thinking, "That could have been us."

So isn't that encouraging news for S.F. fans?

Yes and no. Yes, because the 49ers are a very good team. They know they can beat Seattle, at least at home. Know that they stand toe-to-toe with the best team in football.

But the downside is that the obstacle in the 49ers' way just got that much bigger. The one thing - really the only thing - the Seahawks lacked was championship experience. Now they have it. They were able to do what the 49ers couldn't do a year ago in New Orleans. The 49ers can take solace in the fact that few teams repeat as Super Bowl winners, but they must realistically view Seattle as a team that can stand in their way for years.

Windows close, no matter what Jim Harbaugh thinks. But right now, the Seahawks' window is wide open. They are young, and their roster is relatively inexpensive. Though their defense can't get much better than it is, their offense can and probably will - Russell Wilson has so much upside, Percy Harvin showcased his playmaking ability and Marshawn Lynch is in his prime. The 49ers' window, on the other hand, has been wide open for three years. Can it stay that way?

As much as it must gall Harbaugh to see his rival, Pete Carroll, hoist the Lombardi Trophy before he does (not to mention his lifetime rival, big brother John, a year ago), Harbaugh has to know this is good for his team. The Seahawks have become the impressive team they are because they have had to play the 49ers twice a year. The 49ers will have to become that much better to beat the Seahawks.

Which brings us to another intriguing part of Super Bowl week, a part that has huge ramifications for the 49ers future: the makeover of Colin Kaepernick.

Kaepernick was everywhere in New York, posing for pictures, making the rounds on radio row and doing interviews in which he abandoned his monosyllabic approach of the past two seasons. Some of his answers were probably ill advised, some were charming, all seemed honest. He was dressed like a grown-up, in handsome suits and cashmere turtlenecks, no tattoos on display, no sideways hat, no earphones draped around his neck. It was a far different Kaepernick than the one we've seen since he became a starter.

Clearly, his agent and advisers are at work behind the scenes, likely for two reasons: They know that his look and demeanor have backfired a bit, not necessarily helping his likability and Q rating, particularly in contrast with other young quarterbacks. And they are angling hard for a contract extension.

In an interview with KNBR last week, Kaepernick said the right things in terms of his contract. That it was "a balance" and that there had "to be room for everyone." At the same time, Kaepernick's agents will be trying to get everything they can.

They definitely have some leverage. If you look at the top 10 quarterbacks in terms of salary, Kaepernick has achieved more than many of them, including Jay Cutler, Tony Romo, Matthew Stafford and Matt Schaub. He has gotten his team to the Super Bowl and to the NFC Championship Game and has a 21-8 record as a starter. But Kaepernick was drafted under the new rookie salary rules and, though he has been a bargain, the 49ers will continue to be prudent about what they pay him.

They'll point out that he has plenty of work to do. They might use his words against him, that he is a big reason they lost to the Seahawks. They will note the work he has to do to learn the nuances of playing quarterback. And if he doesn't like their offer, they can decide to wait until he's a free agent next year, and then slap a franchise tag on him.

That's probably not the right way to go, for unity's sake. You want your quarterback to be your leader and reward him as such. Kaepernick is the franchise quarterback: Harbaugh entrusted the team to him and he'll get better, though it will require a lot of hard work. He deserves a contract extension, but the 49ers also have to find a way to keep Anquan Boldin and Michael Crabtree, as well as others.

The 49ers don't want to sign Kaepernick long-term until they're absolutely sure that he will continue to improve and can earn that Super Bowl ring. Kaepernick needs to follow through on his words about balance and compromise and take the type of offer that can keep the 49ers moving forward as a team.

Because, for now, the window is open and the rivalry is on. Next season's 49ers-Seattle matchup can't get here soon enough.